Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer for many people. Celebrations often include barbecues, picnics and firework displays. People may travel to spend time with friends and family. They may enjoy cocktails or cold beers during their Memorial Day...
Drunk Driving
What are your rights during Texas’s “no-refusal” DWI periods?
Police in Texas often announce “no-refusal” periods around busy holidays, such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and New Year's to identify suspected impaired drivers. “No-refusal” is not a new law, but rather an enforcement technique that ensures quick chemical...
Common traffic checkpoints in the McAllen area: What to know
Texas is currently among a dozen states where law enforcement agencies cannot have sobriety checkpoints. Our state constitution prohibits them as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protection against illegal search and seizure. You may have seen...
Debunking DWI myths: Why the penny trick won’t work
Drivers often share tips they think can beat a driving while intoxicated (DWI) breath test. One of the most common is the penny trick. This myth claims that sucking on a penny before taking a breath test can lower your blood alcohol content. The idea likely started...
Consequences for underage DWI in Texas
If your underage child gets a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) in Texas, the consequences can be severe, but jail time is not always the immediate outcome. If the police arrest your child for a DWI, it is important to understand the potential consequences they will...
Why does drunk driving increase over the holidays?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2020, one-third of all drunk driving fatalities occurred between Christmas and New Year's Day. As the holiday season approaches, concerns over drunk driving increase. This concerning trend is not a mere...
How many drinks does it take to get drunk?
The number of alcoholic beverages you consume will have a direct impact on your level of inebriation. As you become more intoxicated, you will also experience decreased driving ability. With every alcoholic beverage you consume, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC)...
Do you think you could pass a field sobriety test?
If a police officer stops you on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI), he could ask you to take a field sobriety test. There are actually three tests: the Walk-and-Turn, the One-Leg Stand and the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test. Do you think you could pass one...
What types of evidence are used in a Texas DWI trial?
A DWI case only goes to trial if a person pleads not guilty. Then the trial process begins with jury selection. Every DWI case is different, but there are some forms of evidence used in most cases. Test results Officers use two types of tests to determine a person's...
What makes a DWI a felony in Texas?
Per Texas law, the state can charge you with driving under the influence if, when an officer stops you, your blood alcohol concentration level is %.08 or greater, you have any level of a controlled substance in your system, or you were impaired in any way by alcohol...